# More College Applicants Are Submitting Test Scores Despite Test-Optional Policies
College applicants submitted SAT and ACT scores at notably higher rates this cycle, with a 10 percent increase compared to the previous year, according to reporting from NPR Education. The uptick occurs even as hundreds of colleges maintain test-optional admissions policies that allow students to apply without standardized test results.
The shift reflects a broader shift in student behavior around standardized testing. When many colleges adopted test-optional policies starting in 2020, some educators predicted fewer students would take the SAT or ACT. Instead, many applicants continue viewing test scores as a competitive advantage in the admissions process.
Several factors appear to drive the increase. Students may believe that submitting strong scores strengthens their applications, particularly for selective institutions. Test prep remains widely available and accessible through both free and paid options, and many high schools continue offering test administration. Additionally, some students who previously avoided testing due to pandemic disruptions have now completed exams.
Test-optional policies themselves may create a perceived incentive to submit scores. When colleges do not require tests, applicants with strong results often choose to include them to stand out. Conversely, students with lower scores can simply omit them without penalty under these policies.
The trend carries implications for test makers like College Board and ACT Inc., which have faced pressure to justify their role in admissions. Higher submission rates provide evidence that students still value these assessments, even when colleges make them voluntary.
For college admissions offices, the data suggests that despite institutional moves toward test-optional admissions, test scores remain central to how many applicants present themselves. This creates ongoing questions about whether test-optional policies actually reduce the role of standardized testing in college admissions or simply shift which students choose to submit scores.